Welcome to the Distric Attorneys Office

Magistrate Court

Since 2-C will no longer handle the minor traffic offense as before, those cases will be moved to the magistrates courtroom in courtroom m215. Again, officers are not required to attend this court. The court procedure is the same as before except we are moving the courtroom. In that courtroom, there will be an ADA and a magistrate. Court will start at 8:30am.

Court Schedule for Courtroom 2-C

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, administrative court will be running from 8:30am to 12:30pm. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, felony day will be taking place from 8:30am to 12:30pm. First appearances will remain in 2-C starting at 2:00pm five days a week.

Felony Days

Now felony day will be on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 8:30am to 12:30pm in courtroom 2-C. This gives us an extra day of criminal court in 2-A. The responsibility of setting these cases fall on the magistrates and the DA’s office.

When a felony is charged, the magistrate should put the court date fifteen (15) days on the first Monday, Wednesday, or Friday. If defendant has no other pending felonies the DA will set ninety (90) days to be screened provided the defendant is not in custody.

If the defendant has a first appearance, it will be up to the ADA, in courtroom
2-C, to make sure the court date is on the first Tuesday or Thursday four weeks after arrest.

Defendants who call and fail on Admin day

If the defendant fails to appear on admin day, one of two options must occur:

1. If the defendant is arrested for the failure to appear and he/she are unable to post a bond, then the administrative process will take place at the defendant’s first appearance.

2. If the defendant is given a written promise to appear or posts a bond, the next court date should be the first available administrative court date.

Administrative Court

All new criminal cases, including new felonies, go through an administrative court. This courtroom will be located in courtroom 2-C in the New Guilford County Courthouse. Law enforcement officers are not required to attend administrative court. The purpose of this court is to handle all the paperwork that usually went on in the morning of every courtroom. In this setting, defendant’s can enter pleas, request continuances, or request public defenders. Once all the administrative matters are completed, the ADA assigned to that courtroom will set the cases on the law enforcement officer’s next court date, either in courtroom 2-G or 2-A. Court will start at 8:30am with the judge taking the bench at 9:00am. All criminal courts will begin at 8:30am effective January 2, 2002.